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Thursday, May 25, 2023

Fancy Feet

When I was a teenager, I worked in shoe sales. Back then, I was very green in life experience, but I knew when I was being hit on. Mostly cougars, 20 years older, would flirt with me. 

There was one lady, a regular customer, in particular, who asked me to pull off her boots. As I obliged, she gave me a sly grin. 

In hindsight, I should have been bold and flirted back. I could have probably had a very different story to share.

Doug Sneyd, PLAYBOY 

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Harold Budd

Music Appreciation

Born on May 24, 1936 in Los Angeles, California, Harold Budd was an American composer and poet, recognized for creating ambient soundscapes.

Budd developed a fascination with music at a young age. Growing up in a touch neighborhood, he found refuge playing in bars and jazz clubs in South Central Los Angeles. He even joined the regimental band where he played drums at Presidio of Monterey (POM), when drafted into the army.

He later enrolled in an architecture course at Los Angeles City College, then switched to a course in harmony and renaissance counterpoint. This path would lead him to a career as a composer. 

Budd studied music at California State University, Northridge. He graduated from CSUN, and then went on full scholarship to the University of Southern California. After completing his education, Budd began his career as a composer, working in a variety of genres including jazz, rock, and experimental music. 

Budd's breakthrough came in 1978 with the release of his first solo album, "The Pavilion of Dreams." The album was a collaboration with the British ambient musician Brian Eno and showcased Budd's unique approach to ambient music. The album was widely acclaimed and set the stage for Budd's subsequent career.

Over the next few decades, Budd continued to release a string of critically acclaimed albums, including "The Plateaux of Mirror," "The Pearl," and "Lovely Thunder." His music was often characterized by its dreamlike quality, with ethereal textures and subtle melodies creating a sense of otherworldliness.

In addition to his work as a composer, Budd was also a prolific poet, publishing several collections of poetry over the course of his career. His poetry was often as minimalist as his music, with sparse, evocative language creating vivid imagery.

Budd passed away after suffering a stroke and from complications of COVID-19 on December 8, 2020.







Sources:

Wikipedia

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Cyber Dating in the 90s

The 90's were a transformative decade for internet and technology. As more of us plugged our modem, new opportunities for communication and connection to individuals from across the world became possible. One of the most notable developments of my time was cyber dating. 

Imagine typing and typing and typing just to woo a potential mate you had zero chance of meeting. Sending pictures was a task. First you had to take a photo. Take the 35mm film to get processed and printed, which would take a few days. Then scan the photo onto the computer. You were lucky if you had a scanner because those things cost a lot. Then you had to hope you had enough memory bites left on your AOL or Prodigy account to send the file by electronic email. 

Yes. Cyber dating was a bitch.


Keith Robinson (PLAYBOY), November 1994

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Dance: Dylan Conrique - Birthday Cake

Choreographer: Brooke Marron 

Dancers: Brooke Marron, Lizzy Russ, Jasmine Mason, Kyleen Likas, and Smac McCreanor


via Dylan Conrique